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The official blog of the NALS docket, used as a timely resource for sharing content from our email newsletter. This includes Grammar Nuggets, Career Corner, chapter and members spotlights, and more!
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Writing is like a muscle. You have to use it, work it, grow it. Like any other skill, it can be learned but it take lots of practice. Nowadays, anyone can be “published” immediately through any social media, blog, or YouTube. Maybe you want more than that. Think and dream about what your purpose in writing could be. Is it to report events and activities or to educate others in NALS? Do you dream of writing the great American novel?

Where do you start to do this? Start where you are. You could start quietly by journaling—just for you—and look at it later with “fresh eyes,” i.e., like you have never seen it before. Or be brave and join the editorial board of your local, state, or national NALS group. You will see lots of writing and get the hang of it. Be braver and consider writing for your local NALS chapter. Talk about something you know and tell us the story. You probably have something to teach or are an expert on something that has not been presented before and you could really help a lot of people.

Suddenly, opportunities will appear. You might notice a topic that has not been covered in your local NALS chapter meetings or the NALS state chapter events. Maybe you have a different take on a topic or know an easier way to do something. Maybe there is a subject that you are curious about and want to learn more and would be interested in doing research and interviews to discover the answers to your questions. Others probably have the same questions and want answers too.

Think of it as a puzzle. Basically, it is taking an idea and expanding it, giving it purpose. Sometimes purpose comes first or is in the publication’s plans—sometimes it comes after you work on your information for a while. Think about what you are trying to accomplish with your article. Are you trying to motivate, ask a question and get the audience to think, or are you just reporting?

Writing is really about editing. What happens is that you write a while and let it rest, go back and look at it and edit. Repeat that process many times until you think it is your best effort and the article is complete. Your job is to make the words say exactly what you mean for them to say. That is where the work comes in. Sometimes the information comes to you fast and sometimes it does not. Sometimes the editing and rearrangement is clear and sometimes it is not. That is why deadlines help—whether they are self-imposed or from the editor of the publication.

What are you afraid of—that you might be criticized? Okay. Think of it as an experiment. It usually takes many tries to succeed. Try again.

Start simple and look for an opportunity to write a short article, just a paragraph to report about a class or event you attended for your local NALS chapter newsletter. Remember that those who were not able to go to the event really want to hear what you have to say. After producing several short reports, you will find that writing gets easier and you will soon begin to write longer pieces.

There are so many books and resources to help you with your writing. Having a good grammar base is very helpful. Use The Gregg Reference Manual [1] or websites like Proof That Blog, [2] written by NALS' Kathy Sieckman, PP, PLS -SC, ACP, or Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Grammar Tips. [3]

One of the best books to have readily available is Strunk and White’s The Element of Style, [4] which is simple and beautiful, suggested by many colleges and law schools.

But that brings up another good point—how to grow your skill. Practice. A lot of practice. This means you will need time, effort, and a recording device like a tape or message recorder, a computer, a journal, a notebook, or whatever works for you.

You might need to schedule time to write. Serious writers write every day. (Can you imagine?) Some have an idea for an article and schedule 30 minutes a day and work on one section at a time. Some writers use free-style journaling by just letting the words flow and reviewing later to see what comes out of it. And there are writers that start with an outline or a question that they would like to answer.

Having someone review and give real feedback (more here, less here, and asking questions like, “What did you mean here?”) is one of the most important parts of writing. Please understand that the editor’s and proofreader’s jobs are to make you look good. So you see, advice is always welcome. Do not take it personally. Your paper is not about you—it is a thing, a product to be polished enough to shine.

It is good to have a filing system to keep your good ideas and build on them, to have a list of article ideas, to keep articles you are working on handy, and to hold your research. Some writers never throw out any writing that was edited out of an article, but recycle it into something else. This would be good if all your work is in one highly defined and unique area—like an expert!

What are you waiting for? You can do this and you might surprise yourself and discover that you just need to build that muscle. I know you have something to say and there are plenty of us who want to hear it. Go for it! It is an adventure. Try it, then wait and see what develops from your effort.

Allison Streepey, B.A., CRS, PLS, is the Business Administrator for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Office of Educational Development. She has over 15 years’ experience in pre- and post-award research grants administration and in serving as the Senior Grants Administrator for the UAMS Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. She also served as an IRB Administrator in the Institutional Review Board office for the protection of human subjects in research. Her current legal experience involves federal and state grants and contracts, employment law, and federal research grants administration. Allison is thrilled to be a member of the NALS Editorial Board and enjoys reading all the articles and writing.